Articles tagged with Human Locomotion
Researchers discovered that ancient footprints in Laetoli, Tanzania, show human-like features and gait existed almost 2 million years earlier than previously thought. The study used a new statistical technique to analyze 11 intact prints and compared them to modern human and great ape footprints.
A new study finds that hips provide most of the power during walking, but ankles dominate during running. This discovery could inform the design of assistive devices and prosthetics for humans.
A special issue of American Psychologist explores the role of psychology in understanding and addressing global climate change. The issue highlights the importance of psychological factors in shaping human behavior, particularly in the context of low-carbon technologies, economic incentives, and information dissemination.
Researchers at MU and ASU found proof of arches in a 3.2 million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis fossil, suggesting a fundamental shift towards human-like walking and locomotion. This discovery challenges previous assumptions about the species' behavior and adaptation to its environment.
Researchers at the University of Florida discover that some children with spinal cord injuries may not regain movement after traditional assessments. However, through locomotor training, these children were able to improve their walking ability and trunk control, highlighting a potential new approach for rehabilitation.
Researchers announce the discovery of a 3.6 million-year-old partial skeleton, nicknamed 'Kadanuumuu', which is almost as proficient in walking on two legs as modern humans. The finding confirms advanced human-like walking occurred much earlier than previously thought.
A team of researchers, led by Naomi Levin of Johns Hopkins University, reexamined data from a 2009 study on the early human ancestor Ardi and found that its environment was likely a savanna, not a forest. This conclusion contradicts the 'savanna hypothesis', which proposes that the expansion of grasslands prompted humans to walk upright.
Researchers at Oregon State University have made an important fundamental advance in robotics, achieving optimal approach with robotic mechanisms. This breakthrough aims to create robots that can walk and run effectively while using little energy, potentially leading to applications in military missions, prosthetic limbs, and wheelchai...
Researchers found that humans' heel-first gait is more efficient for walking due to reduced energy loss and improved muscle efficiency. However, there was no significant difference in efficiency between heel-first and toe-first postures while running.
A University of Utah study shows that heel-first walking is more economical for humans than ball-of-foot or toe walking. The research suggests that early human hunter-gatherers may have retained this foot posture due to its stability and agility advantages, despite being less efficient for running.
A Cornell University team invented a palm-sized device that uses water surface tension as an adhesive bond, allowing it to stick and unstick to surfaces. The device has potential applications in shoes, gloves, and Post-it-like notes.
International experts will discuss the benefits of pet ownership on physical and mental health, including lower blood pressure and increased exercise. The conference aims to build upon existing research and generate more answers about the positive impact pets have on people's lives.
A new study published in the Journal of Human Evolution shows that human running efficiency changes with speed and has an optimal pace for covering distance with least effort. The most efficient running speed averaged around 8.3 miles per hour for males and 6.5 miles per hour for females.
The NIST electromagnetic phantom is a standardized test object that mimics the human body's electrical conductivity. This phantom allows for reproducible testing of walk-through metal detectors, enabling more accurate discrimination between threatening and non-threatening objects.
Scientists studied gibbon foot movements to understand the mechanisms of a 'flexible' foot. They found that gibbons hit the ground with their toes first and raised their heel to generate propulsion for walking.
A new report reveals that a non-ambulatory child with a cervical spinal cord injury was able to restore basic walking function after intensive locomotor training. The child's progress from no ability to stand or walk to full ambulation using a walker is significant, suggesting that the central nervous system may be retrained. Research ...
A genetic mutation in the VLDLR gene is implicated in quadrupedal locomotion in four families affected by Unertan syndrome. Despite shared DNA regions across chromosomes, distinct genes are responsible for the condition in each family.
A recent study found that walking therapy for stroke survivors is significantly more effective when conducted by a physical therapist, improving walking speed and symmetry. Human-assisted interventions allow for patient error and harder work, leading to better outcomes.
Researchers at the University of Manchester found that carrying infants was unlikely to have driven human evolution towards walking upright. Instead, they suggest that this characteristic may have been an adaptation for other benefits, such as freeing up forelimbs to carry objects.
Researchers at MIT have created an exoskeleton device to lighten the burden of heavy backpacks, transferring weight to the ground. The prototype successfully takes on 80% of an 80-pound load but impairs natural walking gait.
Researchers propose that early humans used efficient bipedal walking rather than chimp-like 'Groucho' walking. Without an Achilles tendon, their ability to run would be severely compromised, with top speeds halved and energy costs more than doubled.
Research published in Biology Letters finds that dog-walking in bushland causes a significant reduction in bird diversity and abundance, with ground-dwelling birds most affected. The study's findings support the long-term prohibition of dog-walking from sensitive conservation areas.
Researchers studied chimpanzees trained on treadmills and found that bipedalism used about 75% less energy and burned 75% fewer calories than quadrupedal walking. The team also discovered that some chimps walked on two legs with similar energy expenditure to knucklewalking.
The Salk Institute research found that humans have neurons selective for gender based on motion cues, which adjust their selectivity on the fly. This mechanism allows humans to adapt quickly to local gait patterns, reflecting inherent differences in shape and movement.
A newly designed molecule, 9,10-dithioanthracene (DTA), has been engineered to walk in a straight line on a surface using its two linkers as feet. This achievement proves that molecules can be deliberately designed to perform specific dynamic tasks on surfaces.
The study found that walking is most energy-efficient at low speeds, while running is best for higher speeds. A third walk-run gait is also optimal for intermediate speeds, but humans do not currently use this gait.
Three independent teams, including MIT, have developed walking robots that mimic human gait and control. The MIT robot, called Toddler, uses a learning program to adapt to terrain in under 20 minutes. The robots' efficiency and potential applications for robotic prostheses and understanding the human motor system are significant.
Researchers at Cornell University and their colleagues have built robots that mimic the human gait, consuming energy comparable to a human walker. The robots use simple control programs, suggesting that steady-state human walking might require only simple control as well.
Researchers found a five-fold increase in knee torque and muscle force when humans switch from walking to running. This increased force generation leads to higher energy costs for running compared to walking due to the more flexed knee joint.
Researchers at Tufts University are developing a flexible robot that can navigate through the human body and complex structures, inspired by the unique movement of caterpillars. The team is studying the nervous system control of caterpillar locomotion to replicate this movement and build soft-bodied robots.
Researchers developed single-molecule imaging technique to measure myosin movement, finding it 'walks' in a fashion similar to humans. The study used this technique to determine that myosin V's step size is consistent with a hand-over-hand walking mechanism.
A study found that creatine supplementation improved the performance of elite male swimmers in a 50-meter swim, but not female swimmers. The research suggests that creatine may enhance muscle energy during high-intensity exercise by increasing phosphocreatine levels.
Researchers found that Australopithecines used less energy while walking than modern humans, thanks to their shorter legs which took less energy to move. The analysis suggests that Lucy's anatomy was well-suited for her environment and not a hindrance.
Research found that babies who used newer-style walkers with large trays took longer to sit upright, crawl, and walk compared to those who didn't use walkers. These delays were attributed to the restricted visual feedback from seeing their moving legs.
A Cornell University robot made from plastic Tinkertoy parts has been shown to perform repeatable, chattering, human-like stable steps without falling over on a gentle slope. The robot's design provides new insights into the mechanics of walking and may have implications for designing better powered and controlled biped robots.
A study comparing cephalopod and gastropod nervous systems reveals that cephalopods have more rapid-acting electrical firing systems, enabling their high-speed swimming behavior. The key element of the findings involves sodium channels in motor neurons used for jet-propelled swimming.
Research by Indiana University kinesiologists suggests that encouraging leg movements on a miniature treadmill can lead to an eight-to-12 month improvement in the time Down syndrome babies take their first independent steps. This intervention is found to decrease family stress and facilitate cognitive, spatial, and social development.